HEY MA - STV REVIEW

James were responsible for some brilliant songs during the 90s, but after seven years of inactivity, only briefly punctuated by the release of old material, many are looking to Hey Ma to see if the Mancunians are still capable of producing the goods.  

This album comes 27 years after James’ initial formation and the band are well aware of their advancing years. With age comes wisdom and Waterfall begins with the line "My mirror’s laughing at me, says 'Boy, are you getting old'" – a definite progression from Out To Get You when a mirror revealed unknown quantities. Tim Booth uses this song to rattle off a list of technological advances that baffle people of a certain age. This presumably includes the vast array of buttons and dials that have made their way into the recording studio over the past decade as Hey Ma shuns the over-production and ridiculous special effects that many albums rely on these days and instead offers a comforting familiarity in line with their earlier works. Booth’s voice is still as remarkable as ever and yesteryear’s songs come flooding back - sharp acoustic sounds similar to those in Sometimes and the familiar lyrical pacing of Destiny Calling showing up again.

As well as wisdom, age, of course, brings cynicism. Depending on your opinion of the Iraq war, the title track displays plenty of one of these traits – lines such as "Hey, Ma! The boys in the body bags are coming home in pieces” and "War is just about business" state the band’s viewpoint strongly in a lovely, powerful pop song. Whilst the lyrics can be deep and meaningful, the debate on their writing skills will continue long past this album – deep and philosophical or meaningless babble?

The start of Hey Ma proves James still know what it takes to make a good tune or two but this soon gives way to a mediocre and uninspiring midsection. Upside and lead single Whiteboy give the tempo and the CD a well-timed shot of pace; however, the highlights of the album are left ‘til last. Of Monsters And Heroes And Men and, in particular, I Wanna Go Home are quintessential James showing off Booth’s soothing voice to great effect.

Whilst change is always necessary, it’s perhaps not always for the best. James have shown that without trying to do anything revolutionary they can still produce an album, that although not their best, is still better than a lot of the competition.